Americans last week voted the Republican candidate and business mogul, Donald Trump, who was the 45th President, back into the White House as the 47th President of the United States (POTUS).
Congratulations to the American people for exercising their will, and going through a peaceful exercise despite fears that foreshadowed the elections.
American elections tend to be a big deal worldwide. The importance of the US in the geopolitics of the world cannot be overemphasised. Whereas US policy tends to be entrenched, it matters who the occupant of the White House. So, what does it mean for Uganda when Trump is the POTUS?
New Vision of November 7, 2024, ran the headline: “WHAT TRUMP WIN MEANS FOR UGANDA.” Kenya’s Daily NATION had: “What Donald Trump win means for Kenya.” Beyond the close observation and congratulatory messages from our leaders to the President-elect and the American people, there is a sense of anxiety and “uncertainty” on what the future holds for individual countries, and continents, more so ours, Africa.
The East African of November 9, 2024 said: “Trump victory raises East Africa uncertainties on economy and security” while Aljazeera.com said: “With Trump election win, Africa braces for US aid cuts, uncertainty.”
Trump is known for his protectionist stance with the mantra “America first!” Will he continue to advance American interests over mutually beneficial alliances?
The US is a strong ally of Uganda on many fronts. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), it is a major partner in supporting Uganda’s anti-HIV/AIDS efforts, without which a lot of things would go wrong. The US and Uganda relate closely on the security front where Uganda is noted as a hands-on ally in the fight against terrorism and President Yoweri Museveni is famously recognised as a strategic guarantor of security in the Great Lakes region. Security is central to American interests.
Then, of course, human rights, democracy and governance issues also matter to the Americans as they do to citizens of other countries including Uganda. Shall we see US involvement in these affairs increase or decrease?
Most of the discussions at that level are elitist and the common Ugandan has little to do with them. What the common Ugandan would rather know is how the individual’s pocket “smiles” with the transition in America, and other markets of the world.
Trump may never know a Musoke in Kalisizo, in Rakai, and Musoke may only know Trump in name. However, Musoke has an opportunity to benefit from Trump’s America by engaging in production and export of organic agricultural goods. We are talking economy here.
At the time of the America elections, President Museveni was due to resume his assessment tours of the Parish Development Model (PDM), a strategy that aims to uplift 39% Ugandans from the subsistence economy to the money economy. On November 8, he arrived in Kibuku where he first launched the strategy in 2022.
In the weeks preceding this tour, there had been a heated debate on “coffee economics” where the Head-Of-State played a leading and victorious role educating the masses on Government’s plan to rationalise various agencies, including the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Dairy Development Authority (DDA)-for milk- and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
This was in the run up to a crucial vote in Parliament, which was taken on November 6, and legislators voted in favour of disbanding the agencies and returning their operations to the line ministries. All along, the President’s well-versed arguments aimed at attracting Ugandans to produce more, and more efficiently, to minimise losses in the value chain and aim to capture markets locally, regionally and internationally.
Now with the agencies sorted, work remains to be done to further justify why they had to go.
By the time Parliamentarians voted in favour of “rationalisation”, exit polls had put Trump in the lead. The President’s PDM tour, the vote on rationalisation and the American elections may appear coincidental but to a strategic thinker there is something big. The PDM producer and the coffee sector player should strive for entry into the American market. It is very possible, if quantity and quality are guaranteed.
No matter who is POTUS, if Ugandans do not produce for the US market, the bilateral relations will never translate into benefits for the common person. We shall stay in the donor-recipient equation which is both degrading and unsustainable. What if the new leadership decided to downsize donations on all fronts, what would be our fallback position? What does Trump owe us that in case he had a whole new approach to business we can negotiate strongly? Other than for goodwill and a few strategic interests, we would be at God’s mercy.
But if we do introspection and decide that as a country we want to gain a commanding presence in the American market, invest resources prudently, produce efficiently and market aggressively, we can take a fair share of the market regardless of who is in charge there. Even a protectionist wants quality that is organic and satisfying.
While some will be looking to shuttle between Kampala and Washington to seek favours for themselves and to talk ill about Uganda, President Museveni has his finger on the correct knob. His efforts are well-coordinated and deserves our full support.
Our collective strength lies in sourcing markets and investments that will fully harness Uganda’s potential as an agricultural powerhouse with our brands dominating shelves and stores everywhere you go, with the story starting at Musoke’s Shs1milion enterprise in Kalisizo. That’s how best a Trump presidency stands to benefit the reawakened producer/PDM beneficiary.
A rich citizen is an empowered one and all other benefits will accrue in terms of governance, human rights observance, education and literacy, better healthcare and good living, on top of greater acceptability in case one decides to “explore the world”.
The author is the Special Assistant to H.E the President of Uganda-Press and Mobilisation
Contact: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug
0776980486/0783990861
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